Welcome birders to the BRAS' rare bird alert. The following was recorded on
Wednesday October 6. Highlights include a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in Caldwell
Parish, a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW in Shreveport and a BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
in LaPlace.

At least one RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH was found on 9/30 in Boeuf WMA in Caldwell
Parish. Take US 165 from Alexandria north for approximately 70 miles. Turn
right on LA 4, heading towards Bellevue. Stay left at the fork with LA 559
(about 5 miles). In another 3 miles look for Park Rd 280 (Big Ridge Rd) and
turn right. (None of the mileages have been measured, just estimated from a
map.) The nuthatch was on this road about 2.5 miles north of the WMA
headquarters which, according to my map, would put it close to the
intersection with PR 282 (Dannehl Rd). The area is described as bottomland
hardwood with a few small pines along the roadside.

A CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was found in Shreveport on 9/24 on the southern dead
end of Well's Island Rd. Take Clyde Fant Pkwy out of downtown Shreveport
north to its dead end. Take a right on Airport Dr, which becomes Well's
Island Rd past the airport and dead ends at a large overgrown field. The
bird was in the north end of the field in tall grass and ragweed. It could
not be found on the morning of 9/25.

A male BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD, that has been recorded in LaPlace for at
least the last 7 winters, has returned on August 6 to 800 Fagot Loop in
LaPlace. From Airline Hwy in LaPlace, turn south on Elm Street by the Billy
Hart Restaurant. Fagot Loop is the first intersection. The house is on the
NW corner of Elm and Fagot Loop. He often hangs out in the red cedar tree in
the backyard. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS are back in various locations. Call
Dennis Demcheck at 225-923-1437 for the one nearest you.

Interesting sightings:

10/5
Gulf of Mexico: 1 CORY'S SHEARWATER and 1 near adult MASKED BOOBY
seen from an oil platform off the south-central coast.

East Baton Rouge: BLACK-NECKED STILTS and other shorebirds on Ben Hur
Rd near River Rd; and 1 ROSEATE SPOONBILL, 1
STORK,
1 OSPREY, 1 SEDGE WREN, hundreds of COMMON
YELLOWTHROATS, 1 LINCOLN'S SPARROW, 40 INDIGO
and 20 PAINTED BUNTINGS at Richfield Riversilt.
Cameron: well over 15000 swallows, predominantly BARN, migrating over the
town of Cameron; and 1 ORANGE-CROWNED and 1
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER at Peveto Woods in the Little
Florida subdivision west of Holly Beach.

Orleans: a pair of WHITE-WINGED DOVES returning for the winter to a yard in
New Orleans; a female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD and a WILSON'S
WARBLER in another yard in New Orleans.

Gulf of Mexico: 8 PEREGRINE FALCONS on the platform at the same time and
over 20 PURPLE GALLINULES and 900-1000 egrets flying
by
a platform off the southwest coast; and a
Parasitic/Long-tailed JAEGER and a GRASSHOPPER
SPARROW on a platform off the south-central coast.